OK, I am now cycling my tank and have fake plants, a fake rock with a cave in it and a fake pipe that the fish LOVE! My question is this - can I take all of that out and put in stone like the kind of stone that stone masons use on houses and chimneys (My Brother in Law is a stone mason so I can tons of this stuff)? If I could that would look SO awesome...but is the bacteria building up on what I have in there and if I take that out, will my ammonia levels go up because of it? Will I have to recycle my tank if I take out what is there and put in the stone? I really dont want to have to recycle because I am at 0 ammonia and my nitrites are starting to fall, so Im about ready to add more fish...
Rock/Stone question
- Thread starter adiliegro
- Start date
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SHortyGeorge
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
What about adding it a little bit at a time? and then allowing bacteria to settle on that before removing the old stuff?
Ya know, that is a great idea. I think I might just do that. The only thing is, my tank is kinda crowded with the plants and stuff. Would it be fine to just take out a few plants when i add a bit of the stone?
BTW, I love your avatar! Stewie is "da man"! LOL.
"I packed my bags last night...pre flight...zero hour...9am."
BTW, I love your avatar! Stewie is "da man"! LOL.
"I packed my bags last night...pre flight...zero hour...9am."
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
I would definitely wait until you are cycled to make any changes. After that, change over gradually, as suggested.
For any newbies out there, whenever you add stone it could possibly buffer your water and raise the pH, so if you do not want that to happen be sure it is an inert stone first. Also be sure there are no streaks of red or orange that indicate the presence of iron or heavy metals that can contaminate the tank.
For any newbies out there, whenever you add stone it could possibly buffer your water and raise the pH, so if you do not want that to happen be sure it is an inert stone first. Also be sure there are no streaks of red or orange that indicate the presence of iron or heavy metals that can contaminate the tank.
Voodoo Chilli
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I agree with Tankgirl: while the tank is still cycling, every bit of bacteria is important. Wait until it's done before you begin removing things.
It's also important to know what your pH, KH, and GH levels are before you begin adding rock to a tank. Low hardness levels usually indicate low buffering capacity, which in turn can lead to pH spikes or drops. Other than that, just make sure there aren't any sharp or jagged edges for fish to injure themselves on and that the rock hasn't been contaminated with chemicals or pollutants.
It's also important to know what your pH, KH, and GH levels are before you begin adding rock to a tank. Low hardness levels usually indicate low buffering capacity, which in turn can lead to pH spikes or drops. Other than that, just make sure there aren't any sharp or jagged edges for fish to injure themselves on and that the rock hasn't been contaminated with chemicals or pollutants.
tropicalman
Aquarium Advice Regular
I agree that waiting until the tank is fully cycled is not a bad idea. The good news is that once they are established, the vast majority of the desirable bacteria live in your biofilter. So changing your tank decor will have little effect on the bacteria numbers.
Voodoo Chili has given you some good advice too. In fact whenever I am tempted to put an unknown stone or rock (or even driftwood) into one of my tanks, I always soak it in a bucket of water for a week or two before it earns its way into the tank. I do frequent tests and keep detailed records on the test results. The idea is to identify any trends (changes) in the water parameters (pH,nitrates, kH,gH, etc.). You know what they say about an ounce of prevention.
Voodoo Chili has given you some good advice too. In fact whenever I am tempted to put an unknown stone or rock (or even driftwood) into one of my tanks, I always soak it in a bucket of water for a week or two before it earns its way into the tank. I do frequent tests and keep detailed records on the test results. The idea is to identify any trends (changes) in the water parameters (pH,nitrates, kH,gH, etc.). You know what they say about an ounce of prevention.
cginflorida
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I messed up a cycling tank by removing a fake plant, so I agree you should leave everything in there until it's fully cycled.
